Lucas knocked on Haley's open bedroom door and walked in. "Hales? I got your 911 text. What's up?" he asked, looking around.
She stepped back from her closet with a panicked look on her face. "Thank God you're here!"
"Why…are you still in your pajamas?" he asked. "Are you chickening out on your first day of school?"
"No!" she said emphatically. "I love the first day of school. I've already showered and stuff, but…I can't decide to what to wear." She smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes at him. "Help me?"
Lucas sighed. "Haley—I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a very masculine man."
"Yeah, I have noticed, and you're right. You are. In fact—the masculinity is so thick I can barely stand up beneath it. But—I need help, Lucas!"
Lucas groaned. "Why did you call me?"
Haley held up her hands in surrender. "Well I would have preferred to call a girl, but you're my only friend here so far, so you'll have to do."
"Thanks, Hales. Now I feel special," he said in a monotone voice.
"Oh, did I make you feel special?" she asked in a teasing voice. "That's not what I was going for."
Lucas sat down on her bed and took a deep breath. "What are the choices?" he asked.
"That's just the thing," Haley said. "I have so many choices that I can't narrow it down."
He looked at his watch. "School starts in 45 minutes, Haley."
"I know!" she exclaimed. "And I'm a nervous wreck here, Lucas!"
He stood up. "Just so you know this is no picnic for me. And this is the last time I help you pick out…clothes," he said in disgust.
She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Lucas."
He walked over to the closet and scanned it quickly. Then he pulled out a pair of khaki colored pants and a peach tank top with a v neck. "This color will look good with your tan," he told her.
"You're the best! I'll be right back," she said, walking toward the bathroom that was off her bedroom. She spun around before entering. "Oh, and see if you can find me some shoes to go with it!"
Lucas rolled his eyes and looked into the closet again.
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"Do you see your brother?" Haley asked, shutting her locker and then turning around to check out the people in the hallway.
"No, and I doubt we will," Lucas told her.
"Why?" Haley asked as he started walking her to her first class.
"Because my brother is a jock," Lucas explained. "Not an intellect. Most schools do their lockers alphabetically, but this school figures out where most of your classes are, and then puts your locker on that wing."
"Oh," Haley said. "So, when do you think we'll see him?" she asked.
Lucas shrugged. "Maybe lunch?" he asked. "Although, Peyton has a lot of AP classes, so maybe he'll stop by her locker to visit her."
Haley nodded. "I still haven't been introduced to her."
"Maybe tonight at Tric. This is you. Trigonometry with Mr. Lowe," he said outside the classroom they'd just walked up to.
She looked up at the number above the door to confirm. "It sure is," she agreed.
"I'll see you at lunch?" Lucas said.
"Sure thing, Honey," she teased.
Lucas laughed and started walking away. "Bye, Babe," he threw over his shoulder.
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"Dude, you are gonna so wanna scratch my back and buy me a Bentley when I give you the low down on this!" Tim Smith said to his best friend animatedly.
Nathan Scott rolled his eyes. "Just say you have something to tell me, Tim" he said.
"I have something to tell you, Tim" he said sarcastically.
Nathan shut his locker and started walking down the hallway with Tim at his side. "What is it, Tim?" he asked when his best friend didn't say anything.
"Dude—your brothers' girlfriend…is the one who was checking you out the other day!" he said excitedly.
"When?" Nathan asked confused.
"She was the one who was coming out of principal turner's office," he reminded Nathan.
"Where did you see her?" Nathan asked.
"Her first period class is right across the hall from mine," he said.
Nathan grinned broadly. Oh, I could have some fun with this, he thought.
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"Who's the blonde with Lucas?" Nathan asked as he watched his brothers retreating form walk back into school. The nerd probably wanted to be early for class.
Peyton looked up. "Oh, that's his girlfriend. Holly," she said, remembering her name.
Nathan nodded.
"Why?" she asked.
"Just wondering," he answered.
Peyton nodded. "Look—I have to go. I have class on the other side of the building, and if I don't leave now, I'll be late," she said.
She moved to stand up, but Nathan grabbed her hand. "I was hoping for a little one on one before next class," he told her.
Peyton rolled her eyes. Ever since she and Nathan had decided to get back together, he'd only had one thing on his mind, and quite frankly, Peyton wasn't sure if this was working for her. She sighed. "Not now, Nathan."
"Pey—"
"I have to go," she said brusquely and left.
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"And Haley James—your lab partner is going to be Peyton Sawyer," her teacher said.
Haley looked up as Peyton approached her lab table and sat down next to her. Haley pointed a finger at her. "You work for Lucas' mom at Tric," she said with a smile.
Peyton smiled back at her. "And you're Lucas' girlfriend," she said.
Haley laughed. "Yeah. But no," she said.
"Excuse me?" Peyton asked confused.
"Long story," Haley told her.
Peyton looked up at the clock. "I have forty two minutes."
Haley pursed her lips and squinted her eyes. "You know what? Maybe when I know you a little better, but for now, this story is a little embarrassing," she admitted.
"One night stand?" Peyton said sympathetically.
"What? No!" Haley whispered vehemently. "Definitely not."
"Virgin?"
"Well…"Haley said flustered. "You certainly are…abrupt, aren't you?"
"Sorry," Peyton said. "It's just that in my experience, you better say things quickly or you might not get to say them at all."
"What do you mean?"
"Long story," Peyton said.
Haley looked up at the clock. "I have forty minutes," she teased.
Peyton grinned back at her. "I think we're going to get along really well, Holly," she said.
"It's Haley," she whispered back. "And P.S., dibs on the scalpel."
"Huh?" Peyton asked.
"I love dissecting," she said.
Peyton grinned at her again. "Remind me to tell you about my past sometime. That should keep you busy for days."
Haley grinned back at her. She already liked Peyton. But if Lucas' brother was as much of a jerk as Lucas said he was then Haley couldn't figure out why she was dating someone like that.
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"Hey, where ya goin'?" Tim asked Nathan, who closed his locker and took off down the hall in the opposite direction of the gym. "We have practice in ten minutes!"
"I need to go see Peyton," Nathan said, stalking towards the 'AP' wing. What he really wanted was to get a glimpse of this 'Holly' who was dating his bastard brother and had supposedly checked him out the other day. As far as he was concerned, he owed Lucas. Lucas had moved in on Peyton, and if Nathan could make it happen, Holly would be keeping him warm in no time.
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Haley waved to Peyton, who was at her own locker across the hall talking to a bubbly brunette. Peyton returned the wave, and then turned back to her friend. "So…how was it?" a voice behind Haley asked.
She turned around and smiled at Lucas. "It wasn't bad," she conceded.
"I knew you'd be fine," he said.
Haley grinned. "Yeah, but the homework they assign on the first day of school is…" she trailed off.
"Is what?" Lucas prompted.
"Freaking amazing!" she said excitedly. "I have enough to keep me busy for hours," she said.
Lucas laughed. "You really are a geek," he teased.
She grinned. "Yep." She tapped him on the nose with her finger. "And from now on, I'm also off limits on school nights, so you'll have to settle for Mouth, Junk, Jimmy, Skills and Fergie," she told him.
Lucas gave a fake gasp. "Whatever will I do without my girlfriend?" he asked.
Haley laughed. "I'm sure you'll manage," she said. She put the books that she wouldn't need tonight in her locker then shut it. Then, with a grunt, she lifted her book bag up onto her shoulder. "Ready to walk me home, boyfriend?" she asked jokingly.
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Peyton jumped as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her neck from behind. "Nathan!" she scolded. "You jumped the shit out of me!"
"I'll see you later, buddy," Brooke said, turning around and heading down the hall.
Peyton sighed. "What are you doing here?" she asked annoyed.
He let go of her so she could turn around to face him and he lifted his hands in the air. "Can't a guy come to see his girl before practice?" he asked.
"Sure," Peyton said sarcastically. "It's just the guy in question has never bothered to do that before, so the girl is a little shocked."
"Peyton—" Nathan started but stopped as he noticed his brother across the hallway. Peyton followed his gaze. Nathan watched as Lucas kissed his girlfriend on the cheek and draped an arm around her shoulder. When they turned around his eyes widened in shock.
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"After school snack at the café?" Lucas asked Haley.
"I don't know, Lucas. I have a lot of studying to do," she said, trying to decline the invitation.
He kissed her on the cheek and draped an arm around her shoulder. "Yes, but you still have to eat," he reminded her.
Haley turned around and they started walking down the hallway. "This is true," she said, looking down into her book bag for her cell phone. "I just need to call my—" Haley brought her head up and gave it an impatient shake to get her hair out of her eyes. That was when her eyes fell on the guy across the hall at Peyton's locker. She did a double take and then her breath caught in her throat. She stopped in her tracks.
Lucas leaned in. "That is my brother," he whispered.